Army Foundation College

Army Foundation College Harrogate
Army Foundation College Harrogate
Active	1947 – 1996 (as the Army Apprentices School, Harrogate); 3 August 1998 – Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Role	Phase 1 Training establishment
Size	~1,300 soldiers under training; ~500 permanent staff
Part of	Initial Training Group (ITG)
Location	Uniacke Barracks, Penny Pot Lane, Harrogate HG3 2SE
Motto(s)	Trust, Courage, Team Spirit
Colours	Red, Yellow, Blue, Black & Green
Commanders
Commanding Officer	Lt Col Mike Butler ETS

The Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate, England, is the sole initial military training unit for British Army recruits who enlist aged between 16 and 17.5 years.^[1]

AFC delivers two 'Phase 1' initial training courses: the 'long course' of 49 weeks, mainly for recruits in combat roles, and the 23-week 'short course' for recruits in most other roles.^[1] In addition to their military training, recruits are enrolled onto basic Functional Skills courses in English, maths, and ICT.^[2]

Approximately 1,200 boys and 100 girls begin training at AFC annually, of whom approximately 500 are enrolled for the infantry.^[3] On average, 70% of recruits complete their course, then moving to other army units for their 'Phase 2' role-specific training.^[4]

AFC is graded 'outstanding' for welfare by Ofsted but has also attracted criticism for the physical and sexual abuse of recruits,^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8] high drop-out rate,^[4] and high running costs.^[9]

^ ^a ^b British Army (n.d.). "Army Foundation College Harrogate". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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^ Sabbagh, Dan (5 October 2023). "Nine rapes at Harrogate military college reported to civilian police in 13 months". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
^ Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Jun 2014 (pt 0003)". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[:0-1] British Army (n.d.). "Army Foundation College Harrogate". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2017.

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[:14-8] Sabbagh, Dan (5 October 2023). "Nine rapes at Harrogate military college reported to civilian police in 13 months". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 November 2023.

[:3-9] Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Jun 2014 (pt 0003)". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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